petty target
[PET-ee TAR-git]
nounpl: petty targets
alvo fácil; vítima de pouca importância
1. A person or group that is vulnerable, insignificant, or chosen for criticism/attack because they lack power or influence
The new employee became a petty target for office bullies.
O novo funcionário se tornou um alvo fácil para os abusadores do escritório.
2. In military or strategic context, a minor objective of limited tactical value
The general dismissed the village as a petty target not worth the resources.
O general descartou a aldeia como um alvo de pouca importância que não valia os recursos.
3. Something trivial or unimportant that someone focuses attention on disproportionately
Criticizing his grammar was just a petty target when the real issue was his ideas.
Criticar sua gramática era apenas uma questão trivial quando o verdadeiro problema eram suas ideias.
In American English, this phrase reflects workplace and social dynamics where vulnerable individuals become objects of criticism or bullying. In Brazilian Portuguese culture, the concept relates to marginalization and social hierarchies where less powerful individuals are disproportionately targeted for blame or mockery. The phrase is commonly used in discussions of workplace harassment, cyberbullying, and social injustice.
NYC Slang
easy mark; patsy; chump
Related Idioms & Phrases
make someone a petty target
become a petty target
pick on (someone as) a petty target
shooting fish in a barrel
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